CQC says QEQM & William Harvey Hospitals 'require improvement'

The emergency departments at two hospitals in Kent have been rated as 'Requiring Improvement'.

The ratings for the William Harvey Hospital in Ashford and the Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Hospital (QEQM) in Margate follow visits by inspectors from the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

The inspections took place on 3 and 4 March this year. The CQC said that the urgent and emergency services at both hospitals, which come under the East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust, retain their overall ’Requires Improvement’ ratings.

The William Harvey Hospital is now rated as ‘Good’ for caring and ‘Requires Improvement’ for being safe, effective, responsive and well led.

While, the QEQM, is now rated ‘Good’ for being caring and well led; and rated as ‘Requires Improvement’ for being safe, effective and responsive.

The Deputy Chief Inspector of Hospitals for the CQC said that they had found a number of improvements at the Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Hospital in Margate.

However he said that at the William Harvey Hospital in Margate, the inspectors' concerns had surrounded staffing and safety in the department.

However inspectors did find that since their last visit the trust's mental health support provided by both hospitals had improved, as had their paediatric emergency department services for children.

The CQC findings were fed back to the trust.

In response to today's report, the chief executive of the trust acknowledged the findings and said that staff have worked to make improvements and continue to make changes.

The Care Quality Commission’s inspectors will return to the William Harvey and Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Hospitals in East Kent at a later date to check that the recommended improvements have been made.